Turns out a Guelph reader who borrowed the book Guilty Not Guilty from the Guelph Public Library is, in fact, 'guilty.'
The crime? Microwaving the book.
Microwaving a book for any reason is a bad idea, says the library.
On Wednesday, the GPL put out a notice on its social media platforms to inform people to stop microwaving their books.
“Please DO NOT microwave your books to dry them or prevent the spread of COVID-19,” read their statement.
“The library has COVID-19 safety measures set in place for all library materials that are returned including a mandatory minimum of 72 hour quarantine.”
The most recent incident of microwaving a Guelph Public Library book was last summer.
Guilty Not Guilty by Felix Francis was returned to the Westminster Branch in a condition quite different than which it was borrowed.
Michelle Campbell, supervisor at the Westminster Branch, said no one can tell for sure if heating the book was a precaution against COVID-19.
“I’ve worked here for two and a half years and I’ve noticed it maybe three times. It’s not a big deal but it is something that’s happening in the world in libraries,” said Campbell.
“I believe there is a thinking out there that perhaps microwaving can get rid of bed bugs if they were concerned about that.”
Campbell said staff can easily tell if a book has been microwaved.
Radio frequency identification tags also known as RFID metal tags (used to identify books) swiftly heat up and catch fire once they are heated.
“What it does is it burns that tag completely and then burns through pages attached to it usually five or 10 pages close by,” said Campbell.
“You can tell because you’ll see a little bit of burn on one page and as you get further toward the tag at the back of the books, it gets more burnt. And then you know.”
Campbell said when she sees books that have been microwaved, her concern is primarily the safety of the individual.
“I called the person and had a chat with her and I just focused on her safety. I didn’t accuse her because she denied it,” said Campbell.
“I didn't feel I could get a good reason out of her or even go too far with it. I just focused on her safety and that was a fire hazard.”
When books get damaged and cannot be used because they have been cooked in the microwave, the borrowers of the book have to pay a replacement cost.
“We do a 72-hour quarantine to every book that is returned to us. There is no reason for anyone to do further quarantining or do something like this because we are taking that into consideration with materials before we let them go out again.”
